


Mourning Missed Opportunities (Playing Music in The Dark) - WORK IN PROGRESS

by 1Temmie_Official1



Series: I've Embraced The Calamity (I Guess It Doesn't Matter) [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ableism, Ableist Language, Angst, Aromantic Toph Beifong, Child Neglect, Gen, Nonbinary Toph Beifong, Piano, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Toph Beifong-centric, accidental misgendering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28070853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1Temmie_Official1/pseuds/1Temmie_Official1
Summary: Toph was sick of people telling them what they couldn't do.WORK IN PROGRESS
Relationships: Toph Beifong & Zuko
Series: I've Embraced The Calamity (I Guess It Doesn't Matter) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034757
Kudos: 46
Collections: avatar tingz





	Mourning Missed Opportunities (Playing Music in The Dark) - WORK IN PROGRESS

Toph's parents told them too much and nothing at all.

Their parents tried to tell them about sights, colours, and sunsets and a billion other things that they could never fucking care about because they couldn't see. Their parents told them all about what the couldn't do: _"Toph you can never play sports", "you can't climb trees", "you can't help with dinner, you're blind", "you can't", "you can't", "you can't."_

Toph was sick of people telling them what they couldn't do.

Surprisingly, not everyone cared. They joined Earth Rumble, which helped them a lot. It was freedom. None of them, except Fire Nation Man but no one liked Fire Nation Man, none of them told them what they couldn't do. They were competitors, yes, but all of their pseudo-dads cared for them more than their parents ever did. Toph wasn't a "blind 'girl'", and their semi-dads always respected pronouns. It was... good.

Of course, that was the moment that they had to travel the world with the Ass-vatar.

None of the group patronized them, weird. Toph expected at least Sokka to treat them like broken glass. One thing did suck, though, and it was how none of them knew that Toph used they/them pronouns. At least Toph hadn't changed their name, that would have been awkward.

It wasn't enough, though. They still hated the "community"-like feel the group had going on. Toph had been used to being on their own for the most part. Solitary activities weren't really something they could do. Toph tried climbing a tree once but apparently, that was "too dangerous" for "her".

Toph was really sick of people misgendering them but...

They couldn't find the strength to correct them. It was honestly kind of sad on their part. It was just that they wanted to mention it without making a big deal, but they didn't know how the group would react. And it scared them more than they thought. Maybe it was because of how Katara cared so much about them. Maybe it was because Sokka was smart and easy to make fun of and how he was able to talk to them without treating them like a child. Maybe it was how Aang was so goofy but strangely wise at times and how fiercely loyal he was to all of them. Or maybe Toph was weaker than they thought. Not in their earthbending, they were undoubtedly the greatest earthbender in the world, but what was it to be powerful in earthbending if they couldn't _talk_ to their friends. They couldn't handle it.

So for the first time in their life, they willingly kept quiet.

-

Good ol' Ba Sing Se. Toph got a makeover.

They had never gotten a makeover before. Being girly was something that was forced on them their entire life.

//

This is still a work in progress but like shhhhhhh

**Author's Note:**

> Surprisingly, I didn't name this after a song


End file.
